What happened to Mr. T, The A-Team’s barracuda?

Revealed by Sylvester Stallone in Rocky III The Eye of the Tiger, in which he plays the ruthless Clubber Lang, an unforgettable member of the All Risks Agency gang, in the guise of a grumpy but powerful barracuda who left his mark on an entire generation, Laurence Touro. AKA Mr. T, pursued a difficult, career-driven career, never quite recapturing the luster of his disastrous beginnings.

But what exactly happened to him?

“I’m still a slave, only my price is higher”

Raised by his mother in a particularly poor environment, he did not shine in academics, but in sports, which allowed him to receive a scholarship and join the football team of the University of Texas.

However, after a year, he was dismissed from the service, and the young man retrained as a military policeman, and then as a bodyguard. It was during this time that he created his alter ego, Mr. T, which featured a Mohawk beard and a cluster of gold necklaces around his neck.

In his autobiography, published in 1984, man with goldI will also give you Mr. T’s explanation of the kilogram chains that were worn around the neck. “There are three reasons why I wear gold, first, when Jesus was born, three wise men came from the east . One brought incense, another myrrh and the third gold. The second reason is that I can afford it. The third reason is that it symbolizes my African heritage.

When my ancestors came from Africa, they were chained with steel chains around their necks, wrists and ankles. I turned these steel chains into gold to symbolize that I am still a slave, only my price is higher.”

Watchman Sylvester Stallone noticed

His reputation allowed him to work as a bodyguard for ten years, protecting the likes of Michael Jackson, Steve McQueen, Muhammad Ali and Diana Ross.

In 1980, Sylvester Stallone spotted him on a TV show. America’s Strongest Creeper and chose him to play as a boxer Rocky 3, Eye of the Tiger. Initially seen as a minor character, the latter eventually becomes the main antagonist of the film and puts Mr. T in the public eye.

Following his impulse, the aspiring actress then plays her own role Tiger challenge, still in the boxing world. An iconic figure, he has made numerous guest appearances on Ricky or the Good Life, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Arnold and Willy, and has his own animated series, Mister T, which combines sports training and solving criminal investigations.

A plan that goes without a hitch!

He was hailed by critics for his performance in the comedy DC Cab, which remains a big flop, but the actor gained more fame thanks to it. All risk agencies. Along with George Peppard, Dwight Schultz and Dirk Benedict, he plays Barracuda, a tough guy with a soft heart from a group of wrongly convicted ex-soldiers looking for the Army.

For five seasons on NBC, the series addresses the specific context of Vietnam veterans who experience the difficulties of reintegration into American society. In France, The All Risks Agency remains one of the most emblematic series of the 80s.

All risk agenciesIt’s also the iconic theme song!

Illustrating himself in a variety of registers, Mr. T notably features in the music video for Michael Jackson’s hit, “fix it”Then he became a professional wrestler in 1985-1986. The athlete finally returned to the forefront of the television scene. Explosive duetin which he lends his features to boxer TS Turner.

Fight against illness

A few years later, the public found her this time in the form of a bearded woman in the sci-fi comedy “City of Monsters”. Diagnosed with cancer in 1995, Mr. T did not leave the screens: after appearing as a helicopter pilot in the spy films Agent Zero Zero, he made a series of television appearances (Martin, Susan, Malcolm and Eddie, Sabrina).

At the same time, the actor does not forget his origin and releases two albums, as well as a comic for the benefit of education of young people in disadvantaged areas. After recovering from cancer in 2001, Mr. T lent his features to Sex Academy Concierge and regularly played his own role in animated series, including a prominent appearance on The Simpsons.

In 2006, he hosted an interior renovation show, the so-called I regret the toolReferring to his now iconic line in Rocky III, “I pity the fool”. After that, Mr. T participates in the advertising campaign of the game World of Warcraft In 2009, before voicing police officer Earl Devereaux in Giant Meat Storm.

For fun, here’s an ad that was made for the game’s launch World of WarcraftBlizzard Entertainment’s massively multiplayer role-playing game that has become a cultural phenomenon.

The following year, unlike his former partners, the artist refused a cameo that was offered to him in the film adaptation of The All Risk Agency and disappeared from the screens until 2017, where he participated in the 24th season of the US edition. dance with the stars

No more shiny gold chains

And since then? nothing. However, her fans have noticed that she is no longer wearing the heavy gold chains around her neck that were her trademark for so long. A decision that actually dates back to 2005. reason? A mark of respect for the 1,800 victims of Hurricane Katrina, which destroyed much of New Orleans.

“As a Christian, I said I would never wear my own gold again because of what happened with Hurricane Katrina. It would be a sin against God for me to wear my gold when so many people lost everything.” he said. addition : “Of course it’s my trademark, but I’m the same person whether I wear gold or not. My moral values ​​are the same. Gold doesn’t suit me, I make gold.”